The profile + University of Reading | The Guardianhttp://www.theguardian.com/education/series/the-profile-peter-wilby+readinguniversity
Indexen-gbGuardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2015Tue, 03 Mar 2015 19:15:48 GMT2015-03-03T19:15:48Zen-gbGuardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2015The Guardianhttp://assets.guim.co.uk/images/guardian-logo-rss.c45beb1bafa34b347ac333af2e6fe23f.pnghttp://www.theguardian.com
Reading University's Mr Impeccablehttp://www.theguardian.com/education/2012/feb/06/david-bell-interview
Education's ex-top civil servant 'never had a difficult relationship' with Michael Gove, he says. And in fact, when he speaks, his phraseology sounds eerily similar to that of the secretary of state, says Peter Wilby<p>It is surprising to learn that Sir David Bell is still only 52. He has been chief education officer of Newcastle, chief executive of Bedfordshire county council, head of Ofsted and, most recently, permanent secretary at the Department for Education. Now he is vice-chancellor of the University of Reading and can, as he puts it, &quot;call 'house!' on the bingo card of educational jobs&quot;, which isn't bad for a man who started as a primary school teacher in his native Glasgow. He got most of his jobs at ridiculously early ages: a deputy headship at 26, a headship at 29, chief executive at 36. He doesn't think he's Reading's youngest vice-chancellor, but he must be the first who trained as a primary teacher.</p><p>If you ask how he got these jobs, people will say it's because he's good at running things. They can quote, for example, from a &quot;capability review&quot; on the education department carried out by the Cabinet Office during Bell's tenure: he was &quot;visible, decisive, engaging and inspiring&quot;. Or Ofsted's verdict on Newcastle in 1999: that a &quot;remarkable improvement&quot; in its performance &quot;to a large extent results from&quot; Bell's appointment four years previously. He did so well as permanent secretary that he was at one stage tipped for cabinet secretary.</p> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/education/2012/feb/06/david-bell-interview">Continue reading...</a>University of ReadingHigher educationOfstedEducation policyEducationPoliticsMon, 06 Feb 2012 20:00:00 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/education/2012/feb/06/david-bell-interviewMartin Argles/GuardianDavid Bell: from Glasgow primary school teacher to vice-chancellor of Reading University. Photograph: Martin Argles for the GuardianMartin Argles/GuardianDavid Bell: from Glasgow primary school teacher to vice-chancellor of Reading University. Photograph: Martin Argles for the GuardianPeter Wilby2012-02-06T20:00:00Z